Best budget phone to buy

[max668]

Hello all

For years I have been using the Samsung s8 64gig and it is time for a change.

I was hoping you guys could help me decide on a new phone. I am a complete noob when it comes to this.
I dont do much on my phone. I only watch youtube and read kindle books but I would like to have something that could last me a long time.

Is there a phone out there that doesnt has preinstalled apps you cant remove?
I live in usa and I my budget is aroud 400 dollars.

before you say iphone... im not sure if I could go back to iphone as they have disabled my account 100 of times for no reason at all.

Having control over my device means a lot to me

Thanks

[birdflyer]

As newish phones go, the Samsung A52/A53 look pretty solid

[max668]

20 minutes ago, birdflyer said:

As newish phones go, the Samsung A52/A53 look pretty solid

Samsung A53 has no 3.5mm headphone port ...
any other suggestions?

[birdflyer]

23 minutes ago, max668 said:

Samsung A53 has no 3.5mm headphone port ...
any other suggestions?

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G actually does - https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-A528B-Factory-Unlocked/dp/B09GRFXNDZ/

[Commodus]

16 hours ago, max668 said:

Hello all

For years I have been using the Samsung s8 64gig and it is time for a change.

I was hoping you guys could help me decide on a new phone. I am a complete noob when it comes to this.
I dont do much on my phone. I only watch youtube and read kindle books but I would like to have something that could last me a long time.

Is there a phone out there that doesnt has preinstalled apps you cant remove?
I live in usa and I my budget is aroud 400 dollars.

before you say iphone... im not sure if I could go back to iphone as they have disabled my account 100 of times for no reason at all.

Having control over my device means a lot to me

Thanks

Google Pixel 6a? It's 'clean' Android, so you won't be saddled with unwanted apps and should otherwise have lots of control.

 

As for the headphone jack, I'll be frank: it's not worth punishing yourself with a mediocre phone just to avoid using an adapter. I'd much rather have a Pixel 6a than, say, a Moto G 2022 with a much slower CPU, worse cameras and poorer software support.

[max668]

1 hour ago, Commodus said:

Google Pixel 6a? It's 'clean' Android, so you won't be saddled with unwanted apps and should otherwise have lots of control.

 

As for the headphone jack, I'll be frank: it's not worth punishing yourself with a mediocre phone just to avoid using an adapter. I'd much rather have a Pixel 6a than, say, a Moto G 2022 with a much slower CPU, worse cameras and poorer software support.

how long do those phones last for?
By that I mean, iphone can usually be used for about 5 years, I have definitely squeezed the life out of my phone. it came out back in 2017... so I can say that I had it for almost good 6 years now ...

whats the life time of pixel phones?

[Commodus]

21 minutes ago, max668 said:

how long do those phones last for?
By that I mean, iphone can usually be used for about 5 years, I have definitely squeezed the life out of my phone. it came out back in 2017... so I can say that I had it for almost good 6 years now ...

whats the life time of pixel phones?

Google officially promises five years of security updates for newer Pixel phones (including the 6a), and you'll likely get Android version updates for at least three years. So I'd say that a window like that is realistic if you take decent care of your device and want reasonably current software.

 

I only have limited experience with recent models as I just got a Pixel 6 this year, but there's nothing to make me think the 6a will become obsolete or otherwise fall apart any time soon. It's using the same CPU as higher-end 6 versions and still gets the clever AI features.

[Commodus]

14 minutes ago, NastyFlytrap said:

I dont know what you use your phone for, but i can guarantee that most people on the internet, would be perfectly fine with budget phones. 
For browsing reddit, and watching tiktok a budget phone will suffice too. Wasted performance and money, for most people. Its not 2012 anymore where budget phones are trash. Sure, camera quality is worse, but not atrocious either, and frankly, for taking pictures of your dinner for the 7 followers they have, again, it'd suffice. Software support is up to the manufacturer, and those who slack on the budget phones, usually slack on the expensive ones too, just to encourage them to buy new every two years or so.

I have a xiaomi redmi note 4X, and its still fast, the camera is okay, and software support is great. Im still getting security updates on android nougat. Sure, no feature updates, but thats to be expected from a 5 year old 200$ phone. I can browse the net just fine or do whatever. Hell, i can even game on it if i wanted to. Maybe a battery replacement is in order, but thats something any phone would need after this long.... 

Your point is moot. 

Also, fuck the dongle/throwaway BT earbuds acceptance mentality. Absolutely not acceptable. a 3.5mm jack is the size of a single grain of rice. If they dont include it they can suck my dick. I aint buying their overpriced cheap trash thats just going to die in 3 years after which i'll have to buy another one again. No. Fuck that shit with a bull-poker.

You might want to calm down. It's a phone, not a way of life. Is it unfortunate that it's harder to plug in wired headphones? Yes. Are you going to strike a noble blow by refusing to buy most phones? Not really. It's quixotic, holding out in hopes of the industry-wide change that will likely never come.

 

My point was that the desire for a headphone jack shouldn't override every other consideration if prices are roughly equal. Hey, great, I can plug in without a $10 dongle... but I'll kick myself every time I take a mediocre photo, notice an interface stutter or wish I had the latest Android version. Budget phones have been getting much better, and they're often more than good enough for day-to-day use. But if I'm going to drop roughly $400 on a phone, I want a good overall package, not a headphone jack surrounded by obvious compromises.

[max668]

22 hours ago, Commodus said:

You might want to calm down. It's a phone, not a way of life. Is it unfortunate that it's harder to plug in wired headphones? Yes. Are you going to strike a noble blow by refusing to buy most phones? Not really. It's quixotic, holding out in hopes of the industry-wide change that will likely never come.

 

My point was that the desire for a headphone jack shouldn't override every other consideration if prices are roughly equal. Hey, great, I can plug in without a $10 dongle... but I'll kick myself every time I take a mediocre photo, notice an interface stutter or wish I had the latest Android version. Budget phones have been getting much better, and they're often more than good enough for day-to-day use. But if I'm going to drop roughly $400 on a phone, I want a good overall package, not a headphone jack surrounded by obvious compromises.

most phones have good cameras now a days .... hedphone jack is a good thing to have because you can forget to charge the wierles headphones.

[Symptomz]

Samsung S22 is only 399 I think right now on the Samsung USA site. Not sure if that would fit your needs or not.

[Commodus]

13 hours ago, Symptomz said:

Samsung S22 is only 399 I think right now on the Samsung USA site. Not sure if that would fit your needs or not.

That's only if you have an appropriate trade-in. Otherwise, it's $800 and up. I don't like Samsung's dishonesty here — it's tricking people into thinking a phone is less expensive by making "yes, trade-in" the default.

[max668]

3 hours ago, Commodus said:

That's only if you have an appropriate trade-in. Otherwise, it's $800 and up. I don't like Samsung's dishonesty here — it's tricking people into thinking a phone is less expensive by making "yes, trade-in" the default.

17 hours ago, Symptomz said:

Samsung S22 is only 399 I think right now on the Samsung USA site. Not sure if that would fit your needs or not.

On 10/6/2022 at 1:41 PM, Commodus said:

You might want to calm down. It's a phone, not a way of life. Is it unfortunate that it's harder to plug in wired headphones? Yes. Are you going to strike a noble blow by refusing to buy most phones? Not really. It's quixotic, holding out in hopes of the industry-wide change that will likely never come.

 

My point was that the desire for a headphone jack shouldn't override every other consideration if prices are roughly equal. Hey, great, I can plug in without a $10 dongle... but I'll kick myself every time I take a mediocre photo, notice an interface stutter or wish I had the latest Android version. Budget phones have been getting much better, and they're often more than good enough for day-to-day use. But if I'm going to drop roughly $400 on a phone, I want a good overall package, not a headphone jack surrounded by obvious compromises.

 

does Samsung still preloads there garbage apps to there phone? There's like 10 or so apps on my s8 that cant be uninstalled .. Its annoying. I dont know what to think about Samsung... many people dont like Samsung c and say that there batteries
are not very good ..

With all honesty I dont know what to do / buy.. now days most phones dont have a headphone jack and i kind of like to have one.
I would also like a phone that doesn't preload garbage apps that cant be removed.....

What are the choices really?

[Biola]

2 hours ago, max668 said:

does Samsung still preloads there garbage apps to there phone?

Yes, they do it. If you want clean android, buy OnePlus pr Google Pixel

[Commodus]

23 hours ago, max668 said:

 

does Samsung still preloads there garbage apps to there phone? There's like 10 or so apps on my s8 that cant be uninstalled .. Its annoying. I dont know what to think about Samsung... many people dont like Samsung c and say that there batteries
are not very good ..

With all honesty I dont know what to do / buy.. now days most phones dont have a headphone jack and i kind of like to have one.
I would also like a phone that doesn't preload garbage apps that cant be removed.....

What are the choices really?

Samsung does, and it's occasionally obnoxious... but the company is considerably more respectful than it used to be. You can disable or delete its apps, and generally make other apps (including Google's) the default if you prefer.

 

Biola isn't really correct about OnePlus, I'm afraid. It used to be pretty minimal, but it's no longer "clean" Android; it's closer to Oppo's customizations than Google's baseline.

[max668]

On 10/18/2022 at 12:19 PM, Commodus said:

Samsung does, and it's occasionally obnoxious... but the company is considerably more respectful than it used to be. You can disable or delete its apps, and generally make other apps (including Google's) the default if you prefer.

 

Biola isn't really correct about OnePlus, I'm afraid. It used to be pretty minimal, but it's no longer "clean" Android; it's closer to Oppo's customizations than Google's baseline.

 

On 10/18/2022 at 12:19 PM, Commodus said:

Samsung does, and it's occasionally obnoxious... but the company is considerably more respectful than it used to be. You can disable or delete its apps, and generally make other apps (including Google's) the default if you prefer.

 

Biola isn't really correct about OnePlus, I'm afraid. It used to be pretty minimal, but it's no longer "clean" Android; it's closer to Oppo's customizations than Google's baseline.

On 10/17/2022 at 9:05 AM, Commodus said:

That's only if you have an appropriate trade-in. Otherwise, it's $800 and up. I don't like Samsung's dishonesty here — it's tricking people into thinking a phone is less expensive by making "yes, trade-in" the default.

On 10/16/2022 at 7:15 PM, Symptomz said:

Samsung S22 is only 399 I think right now on the Samsung USA site. Not sure if that would fit your needs or not.

 

thanks guys. i thought by starting this post I will get some suggestions and ideas what to buy but I see that buying a phone now a days its not as easy as in the flip phone days...

so
If you guys were buying a phone what would you guys buy ?
what is important to you when buying a new phone?

 

[Commodus]

2 hours ago, max668 said:

 

 

thanks guys. i thought by starting this post I will get some suggestions and ideas what to buy but I see that buying a phone now a days its not as easy as in the flip phone days...

so
If you guys were buying a phone what would you guys buy ?
what is important to you when buying a new phone?

 

If I were buying a budget phone (let's give it an arbitrary cutoff point like $500), I'd spring for a Pixel 6a.

 

It doesn't have a 120Hz display or gobs of memory, but it nails a few of the things I value most. It's fast for the money, takes good photos and will get timely updates for a long while. Add Google's Pixel-only features and it's a well-rounded package. Many other phones in this class succumb to the Bigger Numbers Are Always Better approach and sound better on the surface, but in practice tend to bog down or take mediocre shots.

 

If I were living in Europe, I'd be sorely tempted to get a Nothing Phone 1. Yes, I know Nothing's after-sale support is still rough, but I really appreciate the overall attention to design and balanced capabilities. That and I would love to bewilder people when my phone back lights up like a neon sign.

[Motifator]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:19 PM, Commodus said:

Biola isn't really correct about OnePlus, I'm afraid. It used to be pretty minimal, but it's no longer "clean" Android; it's closer to Oppo's customizations than Google's baseline.

Doesn't matter as their OS'es are pretty bloat-free, the actual problem with buying a BBK phone seems to be staying on older Android versions for long periods - like in the case of several Realme and Oppo phones. Some Oneplus suffer from it as well, older ones. Samsung gets better updates, but they're not too great on battery management down a lot of phones.

I wouldn't buy the Pixel, looks like they're still coming with those crappy P-OLED screens, just better ones.

[max668]

On 10/19/2022 at 11:48 PM, Motifator said:

Doesn't matter as their OS'es are pretty bloat-free, the actual problem with buying a BBK phone seems to be staying on older Android versions for long periods - like in the case of several Realme and Oppo phones. Some Oneplus suffer from it as well, older ones. Samsung gets better updates, but they're not too great on battery management down a lot of phones.

I wouldn't buy the Pixel, looks like they're still coming with those crappy P-OLED screens, just better ones.

 

On 10/19/2022 at 3:54 PM, Commodus said:

If I were buying a budget phone (let's give it an arbitrary cutoff point like $500), I'd spring for a Pixel 6a.

 

It doesn't have a 120Hz display or gobs of memory, but it nails a few of the things I value most. It's fast for the money, takes good photos and will get timely updates for a long while. Add Google's Pixel-only features and it's a well-rounded package. Many other phones in this class succumb to the Bigger Numbers Are Always Better approach and sound better on the surface, but in practice tend to bog down or take mediocre shots.

 

If I were living in Europe, I'd be sorely tempted to get a Nothing Phone 1. Yes, I know Nothing's after-sale support is still rough, but I really appreciate the overall attention to design and balanced capabilities. That and I would love to bewilder people when my phone back lights up like a neon sign.

  

On 10/5/2022 at 6:20 PM, birdflyer said:

As newish phones go, the Samsung A52/A53 look pretty solid

 

Im sonsidering iphone SE or 13
SE has good processor and the fact that it has a low resolution screen means it will use less power and might work for good 6 years. Downside is the battery

13 has a better screen better battery and a bigger price tag ... soo SE?

you might not know this but this hurts me to say.... I am not a apple supporter but I really dont know what I shoud buy and i need a new phone ... My Samsung drinks the battery... I could leave my house and have 100% and 30 min later Im down to 50% ...

In order to have 10% battery on the end of the night without turning my phone off I have to force quit all my applications. That means I get no notifications hahahaha

[Commodus]

9 hours ago, max668 said:

 

  

 

Im sonsidering iphone SE or 13
SE has good processor and the fact that it has a low resolution screen means it will use less power and might work for good 6 years. Downside is the battery

13 has a better screen better battery and a bigger price tag ... soo SE?

you might not know this but this hurts me to say.... I am not a apple supporter but I really dont know what I shoud buy and i need a new phone ... My Samsung drinks the battery... I could leave my house and have 100% and 30 min later Im down to 50% ...

In order to have 10% battery on the end of the night without turning my phone off I have to force quit all my applications. That means I get no notifications hahahaha

The iPhone SE is fine, but I'll admit I wish Apple had moved it to a modern design this year... if you can scrounge up the money for the iPhone 13, I'd consider it. It's simply more futureproof. 

 

Samsung makes phones with solid battery life; your S8 may be draining quickly because it's a five-year-old device. But I can certainly understand if you're not eager to give the company another chance right now.

[max668]

4 hours ago, Commodus said:

The iPhone SE is fine, but I'll admit I wish Apple had moved it to a modern design this year... if you can scrounge up the money for the iPhone 13, I'd consider it. It's simply more futureproof. 

 

Samsung makes phones with solid battery life; your S8 may be draining quickly because it's a five-year-old device. But I can certainly understand if you're not eager to give the company another chance right now.

Can you explain how iphone 13 is more future proof?
Think is I dont need a flagship phone or a fancy one .....

I mostly use my phone for youtube
The apps I use are:
Banking app
duolingo
telegram
WhatsApp
Instagram

On a normal day when I am home i dont even use my phone I only use it when I am out and about.
 

I think i will miss my calendar widget and clipboard ( the option where your phone remembers things you have copied in the passed)

[Commodus]

2 hours ago, max668 said:

Can you explain how iphone 13 is more future proof?
Think is I dont need a flagship phone or a fancy one .....

I mostly use my phone for youtube
The apps I use are:
Banking app
duolingo
telegram
WhatsApp
Instagram

On a normal day when I am home i dont even use my phone I only use it when I am out and about.
 

I think i will miss my calendar widget and clipboard ( the option where your phone remembers things you have copied in the passed)

They share the same processor, but the iPhone 13 has a larger and sharper screen, better cameras and features like Ultra Wideband (for things like AirTag tracking and smarter digital car keys), Face ID and MagSafe charging. It has a larger battery and a slightly more durable design.

 

The iPhone SE sounds like it'll work well in your case — those apps will run very well. It's really just a question of how you'll feel about the design in a few years.

 

Keep in mind that Google has a Calendar widget for iPhones (there's also Apple's own), and you can still copy-and-paste between apps; I just don't think the clipboard history is as robust on iOS as it is on Android.

[max668]

On 10/27/2022 at 4:02 PM, Commodus said:

They share the same processor, but the iPhone 13 has a larger and sharper screen, better cameras and features like Ultra Wideband (for things like AirTag tracking and smarter digital car keys), Face ID and MagSafe charging. It has a larger battery and a slightly more durable design.

 

The iPhone SE sounds like it'll work well in your case — those apps will run very well. It's really just a question of how you'll feel about the design in a few years.

 

Keep in mind that Google has a Calendar widget for iPhones (there's also Apple's own), and you can still copy-and-paste between apps; I just don't think the clipboard history is as robust on iOS as it is on Android.

Im afraid of the switch jajaja its a really hard choice

[dizmo]

I'd recommend the S20 FE. You can get them quite cheap, and they're excellent devices. You won't have a headphone jack, but you can easily get a dongle, or, depending on what kind of earphones you use, just replace the cable with one that terminates in USB C. Problem solved. If you don't have a pair of IEMs that you can replace the cable on, there have been quite a few absolutely superb units for $20ish that have come out over the past few months. Though, the cable is going to cost you more than the IEM itself. Really, though, a dongle isn't a huge deal. At the end of the day all you're doing is adding 3" to the end of your cable.

 

Motorola has killer deals on Black Friday, if you don't mind going that route.

 

I wouldn't go with an iPhone SE unless you're fine with a very small screen.

 

On 10/6/2022 at 10:01 AM, NastyFlytrap said:

I dont know what you use your phone for, but i can guarantee that most people on the internet, would be perfectly fine with budget phones. 
For browsing reddit, and watching tiktok a budget phone will suffice too. Wasted performance and money, for most people. Its not 2012 anymore where budget phones are trash. Sure, camera quality is worse, but not atrocious either, and frankly, for taking pictures of your dinner for the 7 followers they have, again, it'd suffice. Software support is up to the manufacturer, and those who slack on the budget phones, usually slack on the expensive ones too, just to encourage them to buy new every two years or so.

I have a xiaomi redmi note 4X, and its still fast, the camera is okay, and software support is great. Im still getting security updates on android nougat. Sure, no feature updates, but thats to be expected from a 5 year old 200$ phone. I can browse the net just fine or do whatever. Hell, i can even game on it if i wanted to. Maybe a battery replacement is in order, but thats something any phone would need after this long.... 

Your point is moot. 

Also, fuck the dongle/throwaway BT earbuds acceptance mentality. Absolutely not acceptable. a 3.5mm jack is the size of a single grain of rice. If they dont include it they can suck my dick. I aint buying their overpriced cheap trash thats just going to die in 3 years after which i'll have to buy another one again. No. Fuck that shit with a bull-poker.

If you want to think of things that way, you can live off of a paste, void of any flavour. Doesn't mean that's how people are going to want to live.

I like having high refresh screens, being able to take beautiful pictures when I'm travelling, and having a snappy, responsive phone. For something that I interact with every single day, it's near the top of the list.

 

If the OP is in the US Xiaomi isn't really an option. Most more budget focused phones aren't. Unless you're willing to play a gambling game with reception.

 

I've never seen a flagship phone that has been well cared for die that quickly, and I've used many; I used to get a new phone every year.

On 10/6/2022 at 1:41 PM, NastyFlytrap said:

Im angry, because the world and several industries are fucked up, and corporate apologists like you piss me off.

Besides, its not fucking binary. Its not 'headphone jack' vs 'better in every other aspect'. 

Understanding the way the world works isn't being a corporate apologist.

Also, while they're not mutually exclusive in theory, they are in practice. It doesn't matter if you don't have to leave the headphone jack out, if phones without the headphone jack is the only thing available.

 

@Commodus is right. You need to calm down, and stop giving a fuck about how other people choose to live their lives.

You'll live longer.

On 10/17/2022 at 9:46 AM, max668 said:

does Samsung still preloads there garbage apps to there phone? There's like 10 or so apps on my s8 that cant be uninstalled .. Its annoying. I dont know what to think about Samsung... many people dont like Samsung c and say that there batteries
are not very good ..

With all honesty I dont know what to do / buy.. now days most phones dont have a headphone jack and i kind of like to have one.
I would also like a phone that doesn't preload garbage apps that cant be removed.....

What are the choices really?

There are a few (like Facebook) but you can simply disable them and it'll be like they're not even there.

Their batteries are fine. There's issues if you put them into storage with a low state of charge. So, don't do that, and you'll never have a problem.

 

Unfortunately in the current, and likely future market you're left with only a handful of options if you want the headphone jack. If you shell out a few hundred more, you can pick up a Zenfone 9. They're supposed to be quite good.

[DANK_AS_gay]

On 10/6/2022 at 12:23 PM, max668 said:

iphone can usually be used for about 5 years,

8+

My teacher's iPhone 6S just died like a week ago, and even then, it may have been a problem with the lightning port that could have been fixed for very cheap. iPhones have really good software support for an average of 8 years, and the fastest processors on the market (if gaming is important) I wouldn't discount them so quickly, especially with the iPhone SE going for $429

[DANK_AS_gay]

On 11/5/2022 at 8:55 AM, NastyFlytrap said:

but i do, and what you SHOULD care about is the trend the dongling sets. A core feature is being taken away from you, and you SHOULD oppose that. On principle. Getting less for your money is not acceptable, hell, with inflation i'd argue that you're getting less for more money actualy

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-USB-C-Headphone-Jack-Adapter/dp/B07K25P3N1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1RD2ZIIUAUXAA&keywords=usb-c+to+headphone+jack+APple&qid=1667838325&s=electronics&sprefix=usb-c+to+headphone+jack+appl%2Celectronics%2C194&sr=1-3

 

Man, that $8. I don't know what I would do without it. Appose evil capitalism, how dare they charge an extra 8 dollars for a dongle that can be used with almost any USB-C device, and makes replacing a damaged headphone jack even easier!

 

The trend is set in stone. Either compromise other features for the headphone jack that can be purchased for $8, or get the stupid dongle. It's not hard.

 

On 11/5/2022 at 8:55 AM, NastyFlytrap said:

Sigh. Look, if you dont care about the bloody dongle, i dont care, but i do, and what you SHOULD care about is the trend the dongling sets. A core feature is being taken away from you,

A. Sigh. It doesn't matter if you care or not.

 

B. this isn't an iPod, they aren't marketed as exclusively music playing devices, this isn't a "core feature"

C. EVEN IF IT IS A CORE FEATURE, IT CAN BE REMEDIED BY A FUCKING $8 DONGLE

 

This is coming from a guy who wishes his iPhone had a headphone jack... You just sound bitchy and condescending, over a fucking $8 part. Buy the part, and shut the fuck up.